Veteran actor John Standing, celebrated for his six-decade career alongside Laurence Olivier and Peter O’Toole, and recently as Captain Imbert-Terry in Netflix’s The Crown, now devotes himself to supporting his wife Sarah through her third cancer battle. At 91, the 4th baronet Sir John Leon stands by the 66-year-old Sarah, who faces aggressive large B-cell lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Sarah’s Resilience Amid Treatment
Sarah, daughter of actress Nanette Newman and late director Bryan Forbes, and sister to TV presenter Emma Forbes, received an all-clear in 2023 before this recurrence. ‘John has been amazing,’ she shares. ‘It’s a lot for him – he’s 91. I should be the one taking care of him. But life has a funny way of spinning on a sixpence. He’s been making me laugh and doing endless jigsaws with me and going on short walks.’
Author of memoir Dancing With The Red Devil about her initial diagnosis, Sarah remains optimistic. Her condition responds to treatment, and she draws strength from TV presenter Trisha Goddard, who battles stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. ‘She’s my great cancer buddy,’ Sarah notes. ‘When you’re on steroids, the nights are long. So we speak to each other at least twice a week.’ Younger daughter Tilly attends every appointment, providing vital support. ‘I feel very fortunate,’ Sarah adds.
Bruno Tonioli Urges Female Hosts for Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing undergoes changes after Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s departure, with producers considering male co-hosts like Rylan Clark, Bradley Walsh, or Johannes Radebe. Former judge Bruno Tonioli, 70, advocates retaining female leads. At a West End charity gala, he states: ‘I think it will be better for them to find two women to replace Tess and Claudia because what I liked is that you had these two women holding the show. It was empowering to watch and that’s what Strictly should be. Having Tess and Claudia together on the show made it quite special.’
Yasmin Le Bon Recalls Terrifying Fan Encounter
Model Yasmin Le Bon, 61, married to Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon for over 40 years, describes a frightening late-night incident in New York. In a 24-hour deli, she feared for her life from an obsessive fan: ‘There was one time in New York in a 24-hour deli late at night, there was a particular character, and I did think: “Oh no, this is it, this is going to be the end – in a Korean deli at midnight. I’m going to get macheted. She’s going to realise I’m the person that stands between her and her true love.”‘
Ex-MP Mike Amesbury’s Marriage Ends After Assault Conviction
Former Labour MP Mike Amesbury, 56, lost his party whip, resigned, and served time for common assault after punching a man in Cheshire. The incident ended his 18-year marriage to social worker Amanda Perraton, with whom he shares a son. In his blog, he reflects: ‘I lost everything, my career, my good reputation, our family home. And just before Christmas, the end of an 18-year marriage.’ Amesbury, once MP for Runcorn and Helsby, seeks to rebuild: ‘I’m trying to slowly gain more work. Trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t easily forgive.’
Alice Naylor-Leyland’s Fiery 40th Birthday Bash
Socialite Alice Naylor-Leyland marked her 40th at London’s Harry’s private members’ club with a triple-tiered cake topped by blazing candles. ‘This is 40,’ she captioned an online photo. Guests included director Emerald Fennell, model Poppy Delevingne, DJ Lady Mary Charteris, and husband Tom Naylor-Leyland, heir to the £176 million Fitzwilliam estate.
Nicola Coughlan’s Dance Moves Irk Co-Star on Set
Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan’s improvisation during The Magic Faraway Tree filming annoyed co-star and writer Simon Farnaby, 53. At a BFI Southbank screening, she recounts: ‘Simon said: “Feel free to improvise.”‘ But Farnaby responded: ‘You know that dancing you’re doing… it’s really annoying. Don’t do that.’
Charles Dance Avoids Mentoring Young Actors
Despite 50 years in acting, including Game of Thrones, Charles Dance, 79, refrains from unsolicited advice. At Advertising Week Europe, he explains: ‘It’s a bit arrogant to think you know it all just because you’re “a senior”. But if they asked [for acting tips], then yes.’
